Seeking to make changes at pub

Improvements are planned for a pub that has been shut for almost ten years.

Permission is being sought for an extension at the former Swan and Salmon Tap, off Castlegate, Newark, that was once a coaching inn.

It is hoped the work would create a building with the ambience of a riverside cafe/bar/restaurant.

Mr Frank Laine, of Nedra Estates, St Helier, Jersey, is behind the scheme and has submitted a planning application to Newark and Sherwood District Council.

The proposal is for a two-storey oak extension with balconies to the pub, and to convert outbuildings to offices.

The pub building, in Swan and Salmon Yard, dates to 1770.

It was refurbished in 1999 and was changed from the Swan and Salmon Tap to Kelly’s Tavern. It closed after the 2000 floods and fell into disrepair.

The latest application is for minor amendments to plans approved in February 2007.

Building work on the elements previously approved is under way.

The amendments include larger glass doors to the elevation overlooking the river to maximise views, and an external steel staircase to provide access to the first-floor offices.

A statement with the application said the proposal would significantly improve the character and appearance of the pub and the conservation area.

It said it would incorporate lively and flexible spaces and the application, if approved, represented a long-term commitment to the buildings and their upkeep.

It said there would be no adverse impact on neighbours, and the proposed use would increase the potential for businesses to occupy other vacant units in the area.

The district council will decide the application.